Freight bracing apparatus

ABSTRACT

In a freight car compartment, load bracing means in the combined form of removable belt rails horizontally and longitudinally mounted on a plurality of upright recessed lading strap anchors, each lading strap anchor being a vertically extending bar, a Ushaped strap guide member recessed within a respective side post for connection with each lading strap anchor by welding folded leg portions of the anchor bar to the strap guide, and bolt means attaching each belt rail to a respective anchor in the area of the folded-in leg portions of the anchor with a nut welded to the face of the anchor bar between the leg portions and facing the strap guide.

United States Patent [191 Snyder et al.

[ FREIGHT BRACING APPARATUS [75] Inventors: Richard C. Snyder; Alan F. Krueger,

both of Michigan City; Henry E. Steder, Valparaiso, all of 1nd.

[731 Assignee: Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: Dec. 20, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 209,917

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1959 Adler 105/369 A 7/1952 Webster et al.. 8/1956 Adler 105/369 A Sleeman 105/369 A Jensen 105/369 A [57] ABSTRACT In a freight car compartment, load bracing means in the combined form of removable belt rails horizontally and longitudinally mounted on a plurality of upright recessed lading strap anchors, each lading strap anchor being a vertically extending bar, a U-shaped strap guide member recessed within a respective side post for connection with each lading strap anchor by welding folded leg portions of the anchor bar to the strap guide, and bolt means attaching each belt rail to a respective anchor in the area of the folded-in leg portions of the anchor with a nut welded to the face of the anchor bar between the leg portions and facing the strap guide.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to load bracing art for supporting and tying of lading within a freight container or car. The invention is more particularly related to the use of belt rails and lading strap anchors within the freight car.

2. Description of the Prior Art The use of lading strap anchors or the use of belt rails within freight containers or cars has been well known. However, it has been desired to combine the use of both the belt rail and the lading strap anchor in the freight car wherein the belt rails may be removed and yet the maximum capacity of the car can be utilized without interference from the lading strap anchors. This invention overcomes such difficulties.

SUMMARY This invention provides for the combination of a lading strap anchor and belt rail system within a freight container and particularly within a railroad freight car. The novel inventive concept disclosed herein provides for a recessed lading strap arrangement which connects with a horizontally longitudinally extending belt rail.

The invention has for its further object to provide for a belt rail guide and car reinforcementmember which is recessed within a corner post and welded to bent or curved leg portions of a flat elongated vertically extending lading strap anchor and, further, where there is provided bolt means attaching the rail to the lading strap anchor at its leg portions, thereby allowing lading strap to be fit behind the portions of the lading strap anchor bar above or below the leg portions.

The invention further provides for a novel bolt means for tying of the rail to the anchor wherein a nut is welded to the face of the anchor between the anchor and the recessed strap guide such that when the bolt and rail are removed the interior of the car has smooth walls with the lading strap anchorbeing completely spaced within the walls to provide fora flush wall compartment.

A further advantage of this invention is that the strap guide member is not only recessed to be out of the way but is thickened for strength and forms a continuity of the interior side to the side sheet and also provides, therefore, for a good weather seal.

A further advantage of this invention provides for a removable bolt and belt rail attachment to the anchor wherein the strap guide is apertured to accommodate for variations in the nut and bolt sizes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel combination of belt rail and strap anchor arrangement wherein the bent leg portions are periodically formed on the bar of the anchor to provide for alternate spaces for slipping in the lading strap between the anchor and the strap guide member that forms a continuing but recessed wall with the side sheeting and wherein the strap guide is recessed within a corner post. I

Still another object of this invention is to provide for a plurality of crossing vertically extending longitudinally spaced anchors with vertically stacked longitudinally extending belt rails wherein each belt rail is held to each lading strap anchor by novel bolt and nut means which are partly recessed adjacent a recessed strap guide and providing a plurality of lading strap receiving spaces and a plurality of lading support surfaces defined by the belt rails, the belt rails also being apertured to accommodate lading tie down or restraining strap or rope running the width of the container or freight car between laterally spaced rails.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational perspective view of a portion of the inside of a freight car illustrating the novel inventive combination of belt rail and lading strap anchor arrangement;

FIG. 2 is a flat elevational view similar to that shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, 10 generally designates the inside wall of a railroad box car, as shown by US. Pat. No. 2,803,200 to I. Johnsen, Jr., which is hereby incorporated herein by refernce. The wall 10 includes side sheets 11 interconnected by side posts 12 which is the conventional hat-shaped exterior post type having flanges 13 welded to the side sheets 11 and outwardly extending end wall portions 14 and outside longitudinal vertically extending post portion. A lading strap guide and reinforcement U-shaped or hat-shaped member 16 has its outer ends 17 welded respectively to sheets 11 and side post extensions 13 to form a continuum with the side sheeting. The guide member 16 is further provided with sloped inner end portions 18 which join with a flat longitudinally upright outer plate portion 19. The outer flat plate portion 19 of the guide member 16 is periodically apertured with openings 20 for accommodating various sized nuts 21 and bolts 22 for coupling belt rails 23 to the lading strap anchors 24.

It will be seen that the lading strap anchor is in the form of an elongated vertically extending bar which is 7 provided with flat lading receiving portions 25 which form with the flat portion 19 of the guide, lading strap receiving areas or spaces 26 therethrough which the lading straps may be inserted, the spaces being defined vertically at the tops and bottoms thereof by the U- shaped bent or curved leg portions 27. Each leg portion 27 is defined by a pair of legs 28 (as best seen in FIG. 3) which are welded by welds W1 to the flat inside of the flat plate portion 19 of the guide and reinforcement member 16; The legs 28 provide for easy flat flush welding of the anchor to the guide. Because the guide 16 is hat-shaped or recessed within the post 12 the lading strap anchor lies within the walls or sheets 11 to provide for flush or flat interior walls which will not interfere with movement or placing of the lading within the container or freight car. It is to be noted that the outer fore-and-aft vertically extending edges of the anchor between the leg portions are spaced away from the slope portions 18 of the guide sufficiently to define lading strap insert or passageway areas 35.

The nuts 21 are weldedas by welds W2 to the outer surface of the anchor which surfaces are apertured to receive the bolts 22 therethrough, the nut and the outer extension of the bolt receiving the nut being therefor recessed within the guide member 16 so that only the heads 29 of the bolt extend slightly within the interior of the compartment or freight car. The belt rails 23 which have a multi-apertured shelf 30 with holes 31 and a depending multi-apertured vertical flange 32 provided with bolt receiving apertures 33, are removably connected with the longitudinally spaced anchor members 24 by the removable bolts 22. The bolts 22 extend through the apertures 33 of the belt rail 23 and through the apertures 34 in the anchors 24 and the apertures 34a in the nut 21 for attachment of the belt rails to the anchors (see FIG. 4). A plurality of vertically spaced lading strap anchors is shown in the aforementioned US. Pat, No. 2,803,200.

It will be noted that the strap guide member 16 is much thicker in cross section than the side sheets 11 and this is to provide for stronger reinforcing structure to carry the lading strap anchor and the belt rails which are attached by the bolts to the lading strap anchors. The strap guide acts as part of the continuing wall as defined also by the side sheets 11 and, therefore, the guide acts as a seal to prevent foreign material from entering into the car from the outside since the strap guide extends not only width-wise but the full vertical extent of the car within the side post 12. When the belt rails and their bolts are removed, the car or container interior is provided with smooth flush surfaces which permit free movement of the lading and also for a greater amount of lading. The apertured shelf portions 30 of the belt rails 23 can either support lading or their openings 31 can receive lading straps that may extend across the width of the car to connect with the apertured belt rails on the other side of the car.

The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a freight container having a side wall including vertical framing posts, a lading strap anchor and belt rail arrangement comprising:

a strap guide extending within the post and connecting with the side wall inwardly of the post and defining a recessed strap portion within the post for defining a lading strap receiving space,

a vertically extending elongated lading strap anchor stored within the recessed portion to provide for a flush interior wall and defining the lading strap space between the anchor and the guide,

said anchor having vertically spaced pairs of leg portions extending to and connecting with said guide,

attaching means located on the anchor face between the anchor and the guide,

said recessed strap portion having transition portions,

outer fore-and-aft vertically extending edges of the anchor between successively vertically spaced leg portions being spaced away from the transition portions of the guide sufficiently to define lading strap insert or passageway areas,

said anchor having vertically spaced aperture means each being located at each of the vertically spaced leg portions,

a plurality of vertically spaced removable belt rails and securing means for each of the rails connecting each of the rails to the anchor by extending the respective securing means through the respective aperture means and to the attaching means in the rails and in the anchor.

2. The invention according to claim 1, and

each anchor being welded to said leg portions.

3. The invention according to claim 1, and

said attaching means including nut means at the leg portions and on the face of the anchor next to the strap guide,

said securing means including bolt means extendable through the belt rails, the anchor and the nut means.

4. The invention according to claim 3, and

each nut means being welded on the anchor face.

5. The invention according to claim 1, and

said guide forming a continuation of said side wall and being sufficiently thickened to act as a reinforcement member for carrying of the anchor and the belt rail. 

1. In a freight container having a side wall including vertical framing posts, a lading strap anchor and belt rail arrangement comprising: a strap guide extending within the post and connecting with the side wall inwardly of the post and defining a recessed strap portion within the post for defining a lading strap receiving space, a vertically extending elongated lading strap anchor stored within the recessed portion to provide for a flush interior wall and defining the lading strap space between the anchor and the guide, said anchor having vertically spaced pairs of leg portions extending to and connecting with said guide, attaching means located on the anchor face between the anchor and the guide, said recessed strap portion having transition portions, outer fore-and-aft vertically extending edges of the anchor between successively vertically spaced leg portions being spaced away from the transition portions of the guide sufficiently to define lading strap insert or passageway areas, said anchor having vertically spaced aperture means each being located at each of the vertically spaced leg portions, a plurality of vertically spaced removable belt rails and securing means for each of the rails connecting each of the rails to the anchor by extending the respective securing means through the respective aperture means and to the attaching means in the rails and in the anchor.
 2. The invention according to claim 1, and each anchor being welded to said leg portions.
 3. The invention according to claim 1, and said attaching means including nut means at the leg portions and on the face of the anchor next to the strap guide, said securing means including bolt means extendable through the belt rails, the anchor and the nut means.
 4. The invention according to claim 3, and each nut means being welded on the anchor face.
 5. The invention according to claim 1, and said guide forming a continuation of said side wall and being sufficiently thickened to act as a reinforcement member For carrying of the anchor and the belt rail. 